NOVEL NEXT Chapter 293 - 290: What a big hole!
Chapter 293: Chapter 290: What a big hole!
Day six of survival.
Only seven contestants remained, with just one stubbornly squatting in the original spot, hoping to endure the last six days, while nearly all the others crossed through the woods.
Even the pair who initially wanted to use the cabin as a base did the same; after they rushed to the cabin, they didn’t stop but continued on their way.
Of course, this wasn’t because of some courageous inspiration prompting such a decision; it was because when they rushed over, the cabin had already disappeared, leaving only a few scattered planks on the grass.
Yes, the cabin was gone.
Goulbin was baffled for quite a while. Where was the cabin?
Wasn’t there supposed to be a big cabin right here?
Only the live stream audience knew that Mugalen, the bastard, had taken away the thermal blanket and firesteel but didn’t stop there; he even dismantled the cabin!
Confident in his archery skills and high combat strength, fearless of any sneak attacks, he stayed at the cabin for half a day. He disassembled all its planks and built a simple raft, planning to travel downstream.
Traveling by water was much faster than by land and saved energy.
Even Bi Fang hadn’t thought of such a tactic; indeed, you were only allowed to take two items of the six, but the production team didn’t say the cabin was off-limits.
Unfortunately, while Mugalen was adept at making bows, his raft building skills were terrible. After less than an hour on the river, he crashed into a huge rock, bottomed out, and “shipwrecked.”
He didn’t travel far, but ended up soaking wet. Had it not been for the thermal blanket and the game he’d hunted, he might have caught a cold.
Therefore, when the pair that was a step late arrived at the cabin, they could only see the medical kit and thermal clothes left on the single remaining plank; the cabin was completely gone.
Seeing the disappearance of the cabin, the two nearly smashed the medical kit in anger.
Damn it, which son of a bitch who was born without an XX dismantled the damn cabin!
With the crucial cabin gone, the original plan naturally fell apart. They had no choice but to press on.
They had traveled for two days, and since they were already there and hadn’t encountered any danger, this situation gave the two great confidence, deciding to continue onwards. Otherwise, even if the cabin was gone, they would not have proceeded, preferring to camp in place.
There was only the last half of the three hundred hours of competition time left. Was there really a chance to cross the forest?
Besides, six consecutive days of clear skies had raised the temperature in the entire forest to about ten degrees. Occasionally, when the contestants hurried, their noses might even start to sweat slightly.
This was both good news and bad news.
The good news was that the weather wasn’t as cold, and the survival environment wasn’t as severe; the bad news was that this applied to the wildlife as well, and perhaps dangerous creatures would wake up prematurely from hibernation, requiring increased vigilance.
But for the production team, another problem ensued.
The forest was too dense.
As time went on, the distances the contestants covered grew longer, and after more than two hundred kilometers, the density of the trees became much more significant.
This was a fatal issue: dense trees meant a lack of clearings for helicopters to land. Moreover, cargo planes were much larger than regular helicopters and couldn’t keep flying overhead for long.
As for the idea of an off-road vehicle coming in, that was even less likely.
Before, when the trees were sparse, it was alright. Occasionally, when the woods became denser, they could still bypass it by taking a detour over the adjoining wild plains. But they were helpless in the face of a vast forest; they were not tanks that could just drive through.
Unable to keep close, how could they ensure the safety of the contestants?
Dangers often came unexpectedly. Without being able to arrive promptly, the so-called security measures would lose most of their effect. Although “Wilderness Survivalist” inherently carried the element of danger and the contestants had signed contracts and were mentally prepared, as a TV show, risks must still be minimized.
“What should we do? Should we follow them in? That might mean returning to the city daily for refueling, and our monitoring capacity would decrease significantly. Besides, we don’t have enough manpower.”
Jerret decided to seek advice from a professional.
Looking at the towering, layered dense jungle below the helicopter, Bi Fang shook his head, “Forget the helicopter. Don’t we have motorbikes strapped to the off-road vehicles? I’ll follow them on a motorbike.”
Most of the contestants were in the forest, and they needed to stay close. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to respond in time to any incident.
Pondy had no real grounds to object, but he was still hesitant, “Isn’t that too dangerous?”
“If they encounter a threat I can’t handle, would they have any chance to fight back?”
Bi Fang spoke calmly, but the confidence in his words was something everyone could feel, pumping the nearby staff with enthusiasm.
People are always drawn to strength.
“`
This could almost be called an instinct.
“Do you need someone to follow you?”
Bi Fang thought back to the look of the motorcycle and imagined a big guy sitting behind him, having to hold onto his waist because of the bumpy ride, and politely declined.
“No need, just give me a few more tranquilizer guns.”
“Alright.”
With that said, Jerret and Pondy didn’t try to persuade him further. After coordinating the helicopter with the off-road vehicle, they dropped Bi Fang off.
The dual-wheeled off-road motorcycle crushed the soil, and bits of grass and leaves scattered in the whirl of the motorcycle’s engine.
His black windbreaker rustled in the wind, his black Bluetooth snug against his left ear. Bi Fang, riding the bike, twisted the throttle all the way, a long-barreled tranquilizer gun and javelin strapped to his back, cutting through the endless wilderness and dense forest, rapidly closing in on the players’ positions.
[Ace pilot requests to join the battle]
[Forget it, Master Fang has been air-dropped, the little animals in the woods are in for it again!]
[Bear: I just freaking woke up, and you’re showing me this?]
[Werebears will never be slaves! Resist to the end!]
[Don’t fight anymore, bro, or you’ll become a stupid bear]
Seeing Bi Fang personally ensuring player safety, the audience collectively reached a climax. They had watched a hunting of wolves for the past two days, and it wasn’t satisfying at all; now they were even more excited.
Wilderness Survivalist is soulful with Master Fang in it!
Opening the map, Bi Fang located a central position among all the red dots of the players, ensuring he could reach anyone if an accident occurred.
Aside from the one who was still staying put, and the female group heading east, those three didn’t need to be worried about. The helicopter following them didn’t have issues with not being able to stay in place. It was the four in the forest who needed close attention.
Especially the Goulbin group. Compared to Mugalen and Ji Zuodong, Bi Fang was more worried about them running into trouble, because even if they encountered sudden danger, Mugalen and Ji Zuodong had some fighting ability, but…
It wasn’t that Bi Fang looked down upon Goulbin’s team, he was just being realistic.
Meanwhile, Goulbin continued into the forest with his buddy, but due to the dense trees, their pace was significantly slowed.
“I’m so hungry.”
Goulbin rubbed his stomach. The nuts and bird eggs they had found three days ago had long been eaten, and being hungry for two days was indeed uncomfortable.
There were no wild fruits available during this season, and even though they occasionally found some mushrooms on the ground, they were reluctant to eat them fearing they might be poisonous.
At this moment, the two stumbled upon a cluster of mushrooms on a dead tree.
But Goulbin gave up after a couple of glances. They were strangely shaped and too red, obviously poisonous.
His companion felt the same, and the two had no choice but to continue on their way with empty stomachs.
Bi Fang couldn’t help but click his tongue. The species of mushroom they didn’t recognize was familiar to him: “That’s Beefsteak fungus, and they just missed it.”
After a pause, Bi Fang stroked his chin and smacked his fist into his palm, saying, “Well, once they’ve left, I’ll go pick it up!”
[Wait a minute, does Master Fang mean that thing is edible?]
[So bright and colorful, and it’s actually edible?]
“Yes, it’s edible. It’s called Beefsteak fungus. The mycelium can grow between 8°C and 32°C. It’s named for its resemblance to a beefsteak. I’m not sure how it tastes, but it’s a valuable fungus with a big market demand. It’s rarely found in the wild, only in North America and our country. It’s said to have cancer-suppressing effects, too.”
Bi Fang lay on his motorcycle and explained. If he hadn’t seen it, it wouldn’t matter, but having seen it, he had to try it. Besides adventuring, experiencing unusual foods was also one of his hobbies.
“I’ve taught you all before how to find a water source, from observing plants to insects. Beefsteak fungus also has this effect. Its growth environment requires a relative humidity of 90%-95%. It hasn’t rained recently, so there’s likely a river nearby. We’ll just go and take a look to see if it’s there.”
Wow!
The audience deeply felt the immense gap between ordinary players and Bi Fang. In their eyes, it was a “poisonous mushroom,” but in Bi Fang’s eyes, it was a symbol of delicious food and a sign of a nearby water source.
Half an hour later, Bi Fang headed toward the direction of the Beefsteak fungus, unaware that the duo had made a new discovery.
“What a big hole!”
“`